Process for fabricating metallic members having portions of different widths



Sept. 22, 1 953 w s. SUTOWSKI 2,652,620

PROCES OR FABRICATING METALLIC MEMB S HAVI PORTIONS OF DIFFERENT WIDT Filed May 16, 1951 Hlli il t V 28 F 31 I 7 F' 9 6 6 /2 a l K29 '24 24 95 25 22 '22 22 i 4 j 2 INVENTOR. 1 26 WALTER s. surows/r/ Patented Sept. 22, 1953 OFFIOE PROCESS FOR FABRICATING METALLIC MEMBERS HAVING PORTIONS OF DIF- FERENT WIDTHS Walter S. Sutowski, Garfield Heights, Ohio Application May 16, 1951, Serial No. 226,631

1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to processes for fabricating metal objects from strip material to provide an object having an enlarged portion of greater width than the width of the strip from which it is fabricated.

An object of my invention is to provide an economical process for fabricating metal objects and to provide for a minimum of waste.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an improved process for stamping or forming metal objects from metal strips of a predetermined width.

Another object of my invention is the provision for making a metallic elongated member with enlarged ends and a body portion of less width than the width of the enlarged ends.

Another object is the provision of an improved method for making metal straps of strip material of predetermined width, wherein the strap member has a round opening at its termini surrounded with metal and the portion surrounding the opening having a width greater than the body of the strap member.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an economical and convenient process for forming fiat metal members such as the mounting plate for a roller bearing assembly.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a metal strap having a ball bearing assembly mounted in round openings at the opposite ends of the strap and showing and illustrating, by way of example, a use of a strap member made in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view showing an initial step in the fabrication of a metal strap member from strip material of predetermined width and following the teachings of my invention;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a strap member made in accordance with my invention after the next or succeeding step, wherein the strap member shown in Figure 2 is transformed to the form shown in Figure 3;

Figure 4 is a transverse cross-sectional View of a punch and die assembly taken transversely of a strap member through the location of the enlarged portion and showing means for the expanding of the metal by a punch and die mechanism;

Figure 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the same mechanism shown in Figure 4 and shows the lowering of the punch to closed position whereby the metal of the strap member around the opening at its end is expanded to form the round opening and enlarged end shown in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view through the punch and taken through the line 66 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the punch and taken through the line 11 of Figure 4; and

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the punch through the line 8-8 of Figure 4.

One of the many uses to which the present invention may be applied is the making of plate or strap members for supporting a ball bearing assembly mounted in a round opening in the plate or strap in the manner illustrated in my co-pending patent application, Serial No. 54,661, for Bearing Assembly and Method for Making Same. For purposes of illustration, the making of a strap member for providing a support mounting to hold a ball bearing assembly will be referred to herein. It is, of course, understood that my invention may be utilized for other purposes and is directed to the fabrication of metal members wherein it is desired to have an enlarged portion of width greater than the width of the stock from which the metal member is made,-and in which an opening is provided in the enlarged portion.

In Figure 1 there is shown an example strap member containing bearing assemblies mounted in openings at its opposite ends. The reference character I i' generally denotes the strap member and this comprises an elongated or body portion it and enlarged portions l2 at the opposite ends of the strap member. As seen in Figure 1, the width of the enlarged portions l2 is greater than the width of the intermediate body or elongated portion l3. Ordinarily, and as done in usual practice, strip material having a width as great as the width of the enlarged portions I2 is utilized and the intermediate portion along the sides of the body portion [3 between the enlarged portions i2 is stamped out and wasted. However, in the practice of the present invention, there is no stamping out or cutting of the metal along the edges or outer sides of the intermediate body portion l3.

A bearing assembly i4 is mounted in a round opening formed in each enlarged portion [2 in the manner described in the above identified copending patent application Serial No. 54,661. The outer race member is split and, upon the positioning of the whole ball bearing assembly in the round opening and the peening of the metal of out the strap members in the outline shown in.

Figure 2. In this initial operation, the end portions lZ-a provide the locationiof .theifinishedienelarged portions I2. The end'p'ortions l2alhavei their termini cut in arcuate form to provide the termini or rounded ends 2|. In. this. operation, the piece 29 shown in broken linesin Figure 2 is out out of the strip material, leavingzrounded ends 2! on successive strap members being cut from the strip. In the same stamping operation, an initially shaped opening I6 is formed at each opposite end of the strap member; The initially formed heads or portions l2-a have straight sides co-extensive with the straight sides of'the intermediate body portion. The initially formed opening it formed at each end'of the strap member has straight edges [9 parallel with the outer sides of the heads or end portions l2-a. Each initially formed elongated opening 16 also has arcuate edges, one arcuate edge" being denoted by the reference character [1" adjacent the'body member 13 and the other'arcuate'edge denoted by the reference character [8 being opposite therefrom. It is to be noted that the arcuate edge is on a greater radius than that of the arcuate edge iii. The arcuate edge I1, being of greater radius, corresponds generally to the curvature and radius of the final round opening IE to be formed in the ends of the strap member. The radius of the arcuate edge l8 is less than the radius of the final round opening l5 to be produced. The center upon which the arcuateedgeform shown in Figure 2, in which the'termini of' the strap member are stamped and the initial openings is are pierced or stamped out. The edge of the initial openings adjacent to thebody portion have the curvature approximating the final curvature of the round opening to be-formed because the metal closest to the body portion is not stretched or expanded as are other portions of the metal more distant from the body portion. The metal around the initial opening possesses a contour difierent from the contour to'be found in the enlarged portion of the final strap member being produced, but is so stamped as to be readily adaptable to the fabrication process and to accommodate itself to the contour to be finally assumed.

The next step in forming the strap member is the taking of the member shown in Figure 2 and transforming it to the shape shown in Figure 3. This is done by expanding the metal around the initially formed openings i6 and causing the initially formed openings 16. to assume the round shape of round opening l5, and thus to cause the metal at the ends I.2a to be. disposed in the form of the enlarged portions I2.

A preferred way of expanding the metal to transform the strap member from the shape shown in Figure 2 to the shape shown in Figure 3 is by means of the punch and die assembly shown in Figures 4 and 5. In the example mechanism shown, the die 22 of appropriate form is mounted upon the die bed 23. Movable die jaws or segments 24 are mounted upon the die member 22 in such a way as to move laterally and to spread apart against the resilient resistance of springs 25. The springs 25 urge the jaws toward each other but upon entry of the pointed punch 26, the jaw'members' are moved apart by the camming action.

A punch or expanding tool 26 is carried on a ramhead 2l by means of a punch mounting block 28tin-1theausualymanner. A stripper plate 29 surrounding: the; punch 26 is mounted to provide the usual stripping action during operation of the punch. The stripper plate 29 reciprocates againsttthe resilient urging of the stripper spring 30 and the limits of its movement are controlled by the stripper plate bolt 3!, as is usual in mechanisms of this general type.

Upon the. insertion of a strap member; in its initial'form shown in Figure 2, over, the die and below the punchtowhere the initially formed opening I6 is directly below the punch and the end portion I2-a rests upon the jaws or segments 24, the parts are in the relative positions shown in Figure 4. The. view of the strap member shown in Figure 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken through the middle of the initially formed opening, I5 at the end thereof. Inasmuch asthe same. expanding. operation is to be performed at the opposite ends of the strap member, themechanismand arrangement shown in Figure 4 is utilized at the opposite ends of the strap member so that the expanding is done simultaneously at both ends of the strap member.

Upon the lowering of the punch to the position shown in Figure 5, the punch enters the opening in: the strap member and moves down between thejaw members 24. jaw members 24' spread apart to the degree that the; punch 26 enters thedie'. Near the; lower end. of the punch, the cross-sectional shape of the punch, is rather elliptical, as shown in Figure 6. The further. up the punch, the rounder. the punch becomes, as for; example through the line 1-4 of Figure 4, the punch, has the cross-sectional shape shown in Figure '7. The taper of the punch is such as to go from its small elliptical end to a perfectly round shape so that the crosssectional view through the line 8-8 of Figure 4 is the shape shown in Figure 8. In Figures 6, 7 and 8, the outline of the initially'formed opening l6 is shown in broken lines so as to illustrate the difference in shape and size between the punch at various locations and the initially formed opening It penetrated by the punch. In Figures 4-and 5, the views being transverse of the strap member, the smallest dimension of the tapered punch is observable. At a right angle to the view shown in Figures 4 and 5, the smaller end would appear somewhat larger in width, this difference being observable from the cross-sectional views of Figures 6, '7 and 8.

The action of the tapered punch. of described form entering the initially formed opening It and the downward movement of the plunger to where the cylindrical form of the punch 26 is Within the opening, such as shown in Figure 5, causes the metal of the strap member to be ex panded. In this expansion, the strap member changes form from that shown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 3. Thus, the opening is made round and the metal adjacent the opening and at a distance from the body portion of the strap By a camming action, the

member flows outwardly or is stretched to form the enlarged portion 2 at each. end of the strap member. It is to be noted that in stretching or expandin the metal, the strap member shown in Figure 3 has been made slightly shorter than the initially formed strap member shown in Figure 2. The arcuate edge i1 retains approximately the same curvature, but the arcuate edge It has its curvature changed to the curvature of larger radius or" the final round opening it. The straight edges 69 have been changed to arcuate form to conform to the round edge of the final opening 45. In this operation, the metal has been moved laterally outward so that the Width of each enlarged portion is now greater than the width of the intermediate body portion it. Therefore, the final strap member has enlarged portions or heads of greater width than the width of the strip material from which the members are formed. This avoids the stamping out of material along the sides of the body portion and between the enlarged portions and thus avoids wastage and loss of material.

Upon production of the strap member shown in Figure 3, bearing assemblies it may be positioned in the round openings iii, the metal peened around the openings and the final bearing members as shown in Figure 1 may be produced.

My process provides for great economy in material and time, and produces superior results over methods heretofore obtained. The same method, of course, may be used for making members other than bearing members here shown and used as illustrations.

The present disclosure includes the description contained in the appended claim, as well as the foregoing description.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by Way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

The process of making a member having a body portion of one width and an enlarged portion having a second and greater width and having an opening disposed therein at the location of said enlarged portion, said enlarged portion being located adjacent an end of said body portion, said opening having an edge in the form of a circle, said opening being bound by said body portion, by a terminal portion opposite of said body portion and by spaced lateral portions connecting said body portion and terminal portion, said member being made from a strip of flat metal having a width the same as said one width, comprising: the stamping of a said member from a said strip of metal, said stamping including the forming of ends of said member and the forming of an initial opening in said strip adjacent an end of the said member, the operation of forming said initial opening including the stamping of the opening edge bound by said body portion in the shape of an arc generated on a first radius corresponding to the radius of said circle, the stamping of the opening edge botmd by said terminal portion in the shape of an arc generated on a second radius substantially shorter than said first radius, and the stamping of the opening edge bound by said spaced lateral portions in the shape of substantially straight lines substantially parallel to the side edges of said member; and expanding the metal of said terminal portion and said spaced lateral portions while substantially maintaining the position of the opening edge bound by said body portion, said expandin operation including the modification of the shape of the opening edge bound by said terminal portion to the shape of an are generated on said first radius corresponding to the radius of said circle, the modification of the shape of the opening edge bound said spaced lateral portions to the shape of arcs generated on said first radius corresponding to the radius of said circle, and the drawing of said terminal portion toward said body portion to contract said member about said opening in the form of a circle.

WALTER SUTOWSKI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 322,048 Emery July 14, 1885 687,215 Fehr Nov. 26, 1910 974,130 Fehr Nov. 1, 1919 2,375,996 Kaufman et al May 15, 1945 

